Which receivers group are you taking?

Andre Hastings
Charles Johnson
Yancey Thigpen
Ernie Mills
Kordell Stewart

Hines Ward
Santonio Holmes
Nate Washington
Cedrick Wilson
Willie Reid

Hines Ward
Antwaan Randle El
Mike Wallace
Antonio Brown
Emmanuel Sanders

JuJu Smith-Schuster
Chase Claypool
Diontae Johnson
James Washington
Ray-Ray McCloud

the group playing this season the deepest l've ever seen play for the Steelers. their fast but all take route running serious.

Wallace108 wrote:

Andre Hastings
Chad Johnson
Yancey Thigpen
Ernie Mills
Kordell Stewart

Hines Ward
Santonio Holmes
Nate Washington
Cedrick Wilson
Willie Reid

Hines Ward
Antwaan Randle El
Mike Wallace
Antonio Brown
Emmanuel Sanders

JuJu Smith-Schuster
Chase Claypool
Diontae Johnson
James Washington
Ray-Ray McCloud

It's funny you made this post. I have been watching a lot of old games on YouTube lately and have had this question running thru my head. I watched Steelers late 70s but was too young to really follow it in depth. But I was seeing YouTube games where Swann and Stallworth were out and they'd put Jim Smith and Theo Bell in and they'd have big games.

Right now my pick would be the second to last group. But, you look at the talent at the current WR group and feel like it maybe does, or definitely could, surpass any on this list. I am really interested to see what this current group looks like after gaining some familiarity with Ben, and if Johnson can stay healthy and create an additional problem for opposing defenses. McCloud gives a nice #5 guy...we've not had that for a while.

I seem to remember during when the first group on your list was active, I'm thinking it was Dan Rooney who said that he considered it to be their best group ever. That, of course was before any of the lists that followed. It's a good problem to have...trying to decide who is best over a 30 year period when there is a strong case for each group. The Steelers draft and develop WRs better than any team

The AB group is a little deceptive because he and Sanders hadn't reached their prime yet, and Ward was past his. If we could have all 3 of them in their prime, that would be the obvious choice for best group, but since that wasn't the case when they were together, I have to go with another group. For me, I have to go with Yancey's group. Individually, none of them were great. But collectively, they were electric. When Kordell was still Slash, that was a fun offense to watch. I think we forget how good that offense was because it wasn't together very long.

perhaps you could assign a letter or number to each group for easier identification...

i go with group 1 or group A ... and kordell will stay a receiver and never play QB...group A were all young   no names . i dont think any of them did much after leaving the steelers.

chad johnson played for the bengals....charles johnson played for the steelers..

Wallace108 wrote:

The AB group is a little deceptive because he and Sanders hadn't reached their prime yet, and Ward was past his. If we could have all 3 of them in their prime, that would be the obvious choice for best group, but since that wasn't the case when they were together, I have to go with another group. For me, I have to go with Yancey's group. Individually, none of them were great. But collectively, they were electric. When Kordell was still Slash, that was a fun offense to watch. I think we forget how good that offense was because it wasn't together very long.

You are right on that. It's easy to look at that group as it ended up as opposed to where they were at when they were together. When the AB group came up for contracts I remember hoping they got Wallace resigned because he seemed most skilled. In the end they failed on Wallace and signed AB. For a long time I was so happy the Wallace signing failed and they got AB...despite some really good years we know how that ended. I just saw Sanders playing not long ago and couldn't help but think it's too bad they didn't sign him back then...hindsight is 20-20.

I might go with the first group then while hoping the current group matures to upper levels.

I loved Stewart when he was first playing in Pittsburgh. I really believe had he stayed in a 'slash' role for 10-12 years he may have been a HOF player. He basically created a new position. What an incredible weapon that could be with someone with those skills lining up at WR-RB-maybe 5-10 snaps a game at QB. I remember a game with Cincy and we were getting beat up. Kordell caught like a 70 yard TD to start the tide going the other way. Also those plays where he faked a hand off and then ran 80 yards. You could even have him in there at RB or QB and let him do a surprise punt here and there. I think the last NFL game he played he was the emergency punter and won special team honors that week. Even though he is probably 50 now we might not be worse off signing him to replace Colquitt  

Master_Of_Puppets wrote:

chad johnson played for the bengals....charles johnson played for the steelers..

Charles Johnson. Or as I liked to call him ... Ocho Uno.

I think the current group has by far the highest ceiling but group B was one of my favorites to watch.

Group "B" brought home the bacon, but group "C" had more talent. I'll take any group with Hines as the #1 receiver.

I still remember when Hines was drafted. My first thought was "who?"

LambertWardSteel wrote:

Hines Ward
Santonio Holmes
Nate Washington
Cedrick Wilson
Willie Reid

As of right now this would be my choice. Need to see more from our current group before they unseat the likes of Ward and Holmes in their primes. Nate Washington was pretty decent as well. I'd say right now we have a talented group but they're all still young and still raw.

Enticing to put the Young Money Crew on here but let's be honest here, those guys were talented but hadn't yet realized their potential and Wallace and Sanders were out of town before they had time to mesh because Wallace was selfish and wanted elite receiver money when he wasn't an elite receiver talent and Sanders ended up in Denver. Wish we could of kept Sanders/Brown together at that time but it wasn't feasible, and Sanders was injury prone anyways.

IowaSteeler927 wrote:

LambertWardSteel wrote:

Hines Ward
Santonio Holmes
Nate Washington
Cedrick Wilson
Willie Reid

As of right now this would be my choice. Need to see more from our current group before they unseat the likes of Ward and Holmes in their primes. Nate Washington was pretty decent as well. I'd say right now we have a talented group but they're all still young and still raw.

Enticing to put the Young Money Crew on here but let's be honest here, those guys were talented but hadn't yet realized their potential and Wallace and Sanders were out of town before they had time to mesh because Wallace was selfish and wanted elite receiver money when he wasn't an elite receiver talent and Sanders ended up in Denver. Wish we could of kept Sanders/Brown together at that time but it wasn't feasible, and Sanders was injury prone anyways.

willie reid had one catch in his illustrious career.... ...tomlin sent him packin.

Master_Of_Puppets wrote:

IowaSteeler927 wrote:

LambertWardSteel wrote:

Hines Ward
Santonio Holmes
Nate Washington
Cedrick Wilson
Willie Reid

As of right now this would be my choice. Need to see more from our current group before they unseat the likes of Ward and Holmes in their primes. Nate Washington was pretty decent as well. I'd say right now we have a talented group but they're all still young and still raw.

Enticing to put the Young Money Crew on here but let's be honest here, those guys were talented but hadn't yet realized their potential and Wallace and Sanders were out of town before they had time to mesh because Wallace was selfish and wanted elite receiver money when he wasn't an elite receiver talent and Sanders ended up in Denver. Wish we could of kept Sanders/Brown together at that time but it wasn't feasible, and Sanders was injury prone anyways.

willie reid had one catch in his illustrious career.... ...tomlin sent him packin.

Haha yep, the Top 3 guys on that list though were pretty damn solid.

Master_Of_Puppets wrote:

IowaSteeler927 wrote:

LambertWardSteel wrote:

Hines Ward
Santonio Holmes
Nate Washington
Cedrick Wilson
Willie Reid

As of right now this would be my choice. Need to see more from our current group before they unseat the likes of Ward and Holmes in their primes. Nate Washington was pretty decent as well. I'd say right now we have a talented group but they're all still young and still raw.

Enticing to put the Young Money Crew on here but let's be honest here, those guys were talented but hadn't yet realized their potential and Wallace and Sanders were out of town before they had time to mesh because Wallace was selfish and wanted elite receiver money when he wasn't an elite receiver talent and Sanders ended up in Denver. Wish we could of kept Sanders/Brown together at that time but it wasn't feasible, and Sanders was injury prone anyways.

willie reid had one catch in his illustrious career.... ...tomlin sent him packin.

didn't Cedrick Wilson get cut for beating his girlfriend? then Holmes went mental after his big superbowl catch. imho Ward the only good one out of the bunch.

effyou515 wrote:

Master_Of_Puppets wrote:

IowaSteeler927 wrote:

LambertWardSteel wrote:

Hines Ward
Santonio Holmes
Nate Washington
Cedrick Wilson
Willie Reid

As of right now this would be my choice. Need to see more from our current group before they unseat the likes of Ward and Holmes in their primes. Nate Washington was pretty decent as well. I'd say right now we have a talented group but they're all still young and still raw.

Enticing to put the Young Money Crew on here but let's be honest here, those guys were talented but hadn't yet realized their potential and Wallace and Sanders were out of town before they had time to mesh because Wallace was selfish and wanted elite receiver money when he wasn't an elite receiver talent and Sanders ended up in Denver. Wish we could of kept Sanders/Brown together at that time but it wasn't feasible, and Sanders was injury prone anyways.

willie reid had one catch in his illustrious career.... ...tomlin sent him packin.

didn't Cedrick Wilson get cut for beating his girlfriend? then Holmes went mental after his big superbowl catch. imho Ward the only good one out of the bunch.

In this case I'm only speaking towards talent and accomplishments as Steelers at the given times those particular receiver groups played together. Not taking into account off-the-field antics.

IowaSteeler927 wrote:

effyou515 wrote:

Master_Of_Puppets wrote:

IowaSteeler927 wrote:

LambertWardSteel wrote:

Hines Ward
Santonio Holmes
Nate Washington
Cedrick Wilson
Willie Reid

As of right now this would be my choice. Need to see more from our current group before they unseat the likes of Ward and Holmes in their primes. Nate Washington was pretty decent as well. I'd say right now we have a talented group but they're all still young and still raw.

Enticing to put the Young Money Crew on here but let's be honest here, those guys were talented but hadn't yet realized their potential and Wallace and Sanders were out of town before they had time to mesh because Wallace was selfish and wanted elite receiver money when he wasn't an elite receiver talent and Sanders ended up in Denver. Wish we could of kept Sanders/Brown together at that time but it wasn't feasible, and Sanders was injury prone anyways.

willie reid had one catch in his illustrious career.... ...tomlin sent him packin.

didn't Cedrick Wilson get cut for beating his girlfriend? then Holmes went mental after his big superbowl catch. imho Ward the only good one out of the bunch.

In this case I'm only speaking towards talent and accomplishments as Steelers at the given times those particular receiver groups played together. Not taking into account off-the-field antics.

fine and dandy but they hurt the team in the long run, the 2 in my post throw a monkey wrench in the front office long term plan by having to using draft picks sooner then planned. messing up their drafting best player available to help the team in other area of need.

these list are tough because of all the things you have to factor in such as who was the QB, and what was the offensive philosophy during their tenure. obviously receivers playing with neil odonell and on a heavy running team are not going stand out as much as guys playing with Ben throwing the ball 500+ times a year. not to mention the rule changes that give receivers an advantage.